The invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for forming a fascia assembly, raised roof edge, gravel stop, or the like, adapted for installation on a building structure, and more particularly to such assemblies wherein an angulated corner or arcuate curve is desired in the assembly. In this regard, the term "fascia assembly", as used herein, generally includes coping assemblies, raised roof edges, gravel stops, or other sheet material components or trim parts for building structures or the like wherein an outward face or panel is presented.
Typically, corners of sheet metal or other fascia sheet material parts, such as coping assemblies, roof edge assemblies, gravel stop, and the like, have been fabricated by miter-cutting straight lengths of preformed components and welding the miter-cut components together in order to form an angulated corner. In some instances, however, corners are fabricated by making a cut in a laterally protruding lip or drip edge and folding or bending the straight components (such as fascias, for example) in order to form the corner. These methods of fabricating corners in sheet metal components of this type have frequently been found to be undesirable, especially where the assemblies are made from pre-finished, pre-fabricated materials. In some cases, the finished materials can be marred or otherwise damaged during the cutting and forming operations, thus requiring the corner joints to be re-finished after the welding operation.
In addition to the problems associated with appearance and finishing discussed above, the fabrication of angulated or arcuate corners or curves in such building components has proved to be a difficult and labor-intensive operation, frequently without sufficiently satisfactory end results. Also, it has been found that such corners are frequently susceptible to leakage, which in many instances defeats the purpose of the coping assembly, raised roof edge assembly, fascia, or the like. Thus, for these reasons, as well as those discussed above, the need has arisen for a less costly and less labor-intensive way of fabricating such angulated or curved corners from pre-fabricated and pre-finished sheet material components in a manner requiring little or no post-finishing and rendering an improved end product, both functionally and aesthetically.
In accordance with the present invention, a fascia assembly, which includes raised roof edge assemblies, gravel stop, coping assemblies, or other such assemblies, adapted for installation on a building structure, for example, includes a longitudinally-extending, generally vertical outer face member, and typically a longitudinally-extending, generally vertical inner face member spaced laterally away from the outer face member. An intermediate member is disposed adjacent the outer member or between the spaced-apart inner and outer face members to laterally interconnect the inner and outer face members. Each of the inner and outer face members include flange portions extending laterally or transversely therealong and located generally at their respective upper edges. The flange portions on the inner and outer face members are oriented generally toward one another, with the above-mentioned intermediate member being secured to the flange portions of the respective inner and outer face members. It should be noted that the inner and outer members can also include lips, ridges, or other shaped portions adjacent a generally vertical planar portion, and that such shaped portions can even be disposed between such planar portions and the flange portions.
Where a corner configuration is desired, the inner and outer face members are each fabricated in an angulated configuration, extending along an angulated longitudinal path in order to form a corner portion of the coping assembly. The intermediate member in such cases is also fabricated in an angulated configuration in order to laterally interconnect the inner and outer face members along the angulated longitudinal path. Typically, since the inner and outer face members are each composed of a sheet material, such as sheet steel or aluminum, for example, and bent along a generally vertical bend line into the angulated configuration, the above-mentioned flange portions of each of the inner and outer face members are required to have laterally-extending cuts therein adjacent the bend line in order to accommodate the bending of the inner and outer face members into the angulated configuration. Where one of the face members is required to be bent laterally in the same lateral direction toward which its flange portion is oriented, such laterally-extending cut or cuts must be made in such a manner as to define a generally triangular-shaped opening, notch, or gap in the flange portion, with such opening being closed up when the face member is bent laterally into its angulated configuration. Similarly, where one or both of the face members includes a lower lip or drip edge extending generally laterally, or at least transversely with respect to the vertical portion of the face member, such laterally-extending cut becomes spread apart to define a generally triangular-shaped opening, notch, or gap upon completion of the bending of the face member.
In order to avoid leaving an unsightly opening or gap in the lower lip or drip edge mentioned above, the present invention provides an insert member adapted to be inserted into the opening in order to substantially fill the opening upon completion of the fabrication operations. Preferably, such an insert member is composed of a resilient, elastomeric material, including a body portion having lateral edges with grooves formed therein. Such grooves are adapted to receive the sheet material of the face member on opposite sides of the opening in the sheet material in order to retain the insert member in the opening. Although the insert member is optionally secured to the sheet material by way of an adhesive, the width of the above-mentioned grooves is preferably smaller than the thickness of the adjacent sheet material, with the resilient, elastomeric material of the insert member resiliently deflecting adjacent the grooves when the insert member is inserted into the opening or gap in order to resiliently grip opposite sides of the sheet material adjacent the opening or gap.
In another embodiment, the preferably resilient and elastomeric insert member includes a body portion having tabs or protrusions extending outwardly from the body portion. Such tabs are resiliently received within an opening formed in the adjacent sheet material components, such as the above-described inner or outer members, for example. Such openings can be defined by a folded-under or bent-under drip edge configuration, for example. In either this embodiment or the embodiment discussed above, however, it is not necessary that the fascia assembly includes both an inner and outer member as discussed above. The insert member according to the present invention is applicable in a wide variety of fascia assemblies or structures wherein the above-discussed gap results from the fabrication of a corner or other angulated configuration.
The features discussed above, as well as additional objects, advantages, and features of the present invention, will become more apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.